Monday, October 8, 2007
Prewrite
1. What are you good at? Nothing.
2. How do you feel when you're doing the thing you're good at? I Dont Know.
3. How would you feel if people wouldn't let you do the thing you're good at? I Dont Know.
Tuesday, October 9, 2007
Chapter 1
1. What problems or conflicts are presented in chapter one? Tao needing to find a rabbit is an obvious one;
identify at least two more.
Conflicts/Problems that were in the story is that the hunters were not getting enough food for everyone and
and no one cared about Tao except for Kala.
2. Predict the resolution of each conflict.The first resolution for the first conflict is that they should have more
hunters and spend more time hunting so they can get enough food for eveyone.
Chapter 2
What two important events happen in this chapter? One important event that happened in the story is Tao has
not found the rabbit and he his not able to go back to the hut untills he finds a rabbit.Another event in the story
is Tao goes into this place where there is people that tell him that there is evil spirits.
Chapter 3
1. What do Tao and Ram learn to do together? They learn to hunt with each other and finally get enough food
for everyone.
2. What decision does Tao tell Volt? Tao tells Volt that he'll leave the clan and go his own way with Ram.
3. Look at Tao's decisions and actions from Volt's perspective. Pretend you are Volt. Write a first person
paragraph explaining how you feel. I feel angry at Tao because he's leaving me behind cause i dont want a wolf
dog in the clan.Hopefully he'll come back, but i am really mad and dissapointed in him.
Chapter 4
In a good paragraph, describe Tao's mother. Start with an interest grabber. Then write your topic sentence.
Give three details or examples to support your thesis. Use a quotation from the chapter. Tao's mother really
cared a lot about him and had a lot of feelings for him.Tao's mother always protected him and Kala had feelings
also for Tao and his mother,but then Tao's mom died and Tao had stayed with Kala for like 14 years.That really
sucks for him because he never got see his mother when he got older.
Chapter 5
1. Which two animals does Tao try to draw? Tao tries to draw Ram and the horse.
2. Which is easier for him and why? The wolf dog is easier for Tao because he had the outline of him.
Chapter 6
1. Graybeard realizes that Tao has broken two taboos of his clan. What are they? The first taboo that Tao has broken
is that he was hunting with the wolfdog and that he has gone to hunt at the slough.
2. Which taboo doesn't he know about yet? That Tao paints images in the cave.
3. Graybeard describes Volt differently than we have. What aspects of Volt's character is Graybeard acknowledging?
Graybeard says that Volt is a good man.
Chapter 7
Write your reaction to the last paragraph in the chapter. Do you agree or disagree with Graybeard? Is what he says
true for those times, but not now? Or, is the reverse true: was it not true then, but true now? I disagree with Graybeard
because drawing isn't bad, you should be able to draw, and yes, but before it used to be bad, but now it doesn't matter,
if you draw.
Chapter 8
An important theme in this novel is that people should follow their dreams and do what they believe is right, even if
they don't follow their society's expected ways.
The author examines this theme in a stone age setting. Imagine a similar situation today.
What situation did you imagine? I imagined a women leaving her kids and making the father take care of the kids
while she is working in the fire department.
In the situation you imagined, should the person follow his or her dreams or should they follow society's rules? Give
your opinion. My opinion is that I believe that women are responsible of watching their kids, doing the dishes,
cleaning, and setting up dinner and men should be working like with the fire department instead of the mother, so I think
she should follow society rules.I'm not saying that mothers shouldn't work but I just think that a fire man isn't the right
job for women because you would be away from your kids for along time.
Chapter 9
Why do you think Graybeard changed his mind? I think that Graybeard changed his mind because he probably thinks
that Tao loves to draw and he also mite of saw Tao's drawings.
What does this tell you about his character? It tells me that he is caring and he is that kind of person who thinks about
other people, so he changed his mind.
Chapter 10
1. What are the "mountains-that-walk"? They are woolly mammoths.
2. What almost happened to Tao? He almost gotten killed.
Chapter 11
Do you think Graybeard is a good teacher? Why? I think Graybeard is a good teacher because although he screams at
Tao it ends up to be that he is a really good teacher.
Would you like to have been taught a skill by him? Why? I would like to be taught by Graybeard because I think that
he mite be a great art teacher and I can really learn alot from him.
Chapter 12
1. Name some of the ingredients used to make paint. Which surprised you most? Some ingredients to make paint
is Earth, some clay, and limbstone powder. When they said that they can make paint out of Earth that surprised me
most because I was thinking how did they get some Earth into the paint which the Earth is to big to get some to
use it to make paint.
2. Why is Tao afraid at the end of the chapter? Tao is afraid at the end of the chapter because he thinks that
Graybeard is really sick and Tao is very worried about him.
Chapter 13
1. Even if Ram had succeeded in hunting the deer, do you think it was a good idea of Tao's to "show off" his dog's
ability to hunt? Explain. I think it wasn't a good idea because if he had seen Tao's dog he would of killed him.
2. Predict what will happen next. If you've read ahead, invent an alternate scene. I predict that Ram will find Tao
and his dog and then kill to death.
Chapter 14
1. Why does Tao cross the river? Tao crosses the river because he hears this howling and he thinks it's Ram.
2. What decision does Graybeard reach? Graybeard reaches the decision to go back to Tao and show him how to paint.
Chapter 15
What problem does Tao have by the end of the chapter? Tao has this problem at the end of this chapter which is
that he gets stuck in the cavern.
Chapter 17
Wow! What a chapter! What was your reaction? Tense? Surprised? You predicted it? Write a paragraph describing your reaction.
Chapter 18
Why does Tao feel he needs to go to the Mountain People?
Extra Credit
Write a narrative describing what happens next. Make sure your plot has a conflict, a climax, and a resolution. You can introduce new characters if you want.
Prewrite
1. What are you good at? Nothing.
2. How do you feel when you're doing the thing you're good at? I Dont Know.
3. How would you feel if people wouldn't let you do the thing you're good at? I Dont Know.
Tuesday, October 9, 2007
Chapter 1
1. What problems or conflicts are presented in chapter one? Tao needing to find a rabbit is an obvious one;
identify at least two more.
Conflicts/Problems that were in the story is that the hunters were not getting enough food for everyone and
and no one cared about Tao except for Kala.
2. Predict the resolution of each conflict.The first resolution for the first conflict is that they should have more
hunters and spend more time hunting so they can get enough food for eveyone.
Chapter 2
What two important events happen in this chapter? One important event that happened in the story is Tao has
not found the rabbit and he his not able to go back to the hut untills he finds a rabbit.Another event in the story
is Tao goes into this place where there is people that tell him that there is evil spirits.
Chapter 3
1. What do Tao and Ram learn to do together? They learn to hunt with each other and finally get enough food
for everyone.
2. What decision does Tao tell Volt? Tao tells Volt that he'll leave the clan and go his own way with Ram.
3. Look at Tao's decisions and actions from Volt's perspective. Pretend you are Volt. Write a first person
paragraph explaining how you feel. I feel angry at Tao because he's leaving me behind cause i dont want a wolf
dog in the clan.Hopefully he'll come back, but i am really mad and dissapointed in him.
Chapter 4
In a good paragraph, describe Tao's mother. Start with an interest grabber. Then write your topic sentence.
Give three details or examples to support your thesis. Use a quotation from the chapter. Tao's mother really
cared a lot about him and had a lot of feelings for him.Tao's mother always protected him and Kala had feelings
also for Tao and his mother,but then Tao's mom died and Tao had stayed with Kala for like 14 years.That really
sucks for him because he never got see his mother when he got older.
Chapter 5
1. Which two animals does Tao try to draw? Tao tries to draw Ram and the horse.
2. Which is easier for him and why? The wolf dog is easier for Tao because he had the outline of him.
Chapter 6
1. Graybeard realizes that Tao has broken two taboos of his clan. What are they? The first taboo that Tao has broken
is that he was hunting with the wolfdog and that he has gone to hunt at the slough.
2. Which taboo doesn't he know about yet? That Tao paints images in the cave.
3. Graybeard describes Volt differently than we have. What aspects of Volt's character is Graybeard acknowledging?
Graybeard says that Volt is a good man.
Chapter 7
Write your reaction to the last paragraph in the chapter. Do you agree or disagree with Graybeard? Is what he says
true for those times, but not now? Or, is the reverse true: was it not true then, but true now? I disagree with Graybeard
because drawing isn't bad, you should be able to draw, and yes, but before it used to be bad, but now it doesn't matter,
if you draw.
Chapter 8
An important theme in this novel is that people should follow their dreams and do what they believe is right, even if
they don't follow their society's expected ways.
The author examines this theme in a stone age setting. Imagine a similar situation today.
What situation did you imagine? I imagined a women leaving her kids and making the father take care of the kids
while she is working in the fire department.
In the situation you imagined, should the person follow his or her dreams or should they follow society's rules? Give
your opinion. My opinion is that I believe that women are responsible of watching their kids, doing the dishes,
cleaning, and setting up dinner and men should be working like with the fire department instead of the mother, so I think
she should follow society rules.I'm not saying that mothers shouldn't work but I just think that a fire man isn't the right
job for women because you would be away from your kids for along time.
Chapter 9
Why do you think Graybeard changed his mind? I think that Graybeard changed his mind because he probably thinks
that Tao loves to draw and he also mite of saw Tao's drawings.
What does this tell you about his character? It tells me that he is caring and he is that kind of person who thinks about
other people, so he changed his mind.
Chapter 10
1. What are the "mountains-that-walk"? They are woolly mammoths.
2. What almost happened to Tao? He almost gotten killed.
Chapter 11
Do you think Graybeard is a good teacher? Why? I think Graybeard is a good teacher because although he screams at
Tao it ends up to be that he is a really good teacher.
Would you like to have been taught a skill by him? Why? I would like to be taught by Graybeard because I think that
he mite be a great art teacher and I can really learn alot from him.
Chapter 12
1. Name some of the ingredients used to make paint. Which surprised you most? Some ingredients to make paint
is Earth, some clay, and limbstone powder. When they said that they can make paint out of Earth that surprised me
most because I was thinking how did they get some Earth into the paint which the Earth is to big to get some to
use it to make paint.
2. Why is Tao afraid at the end of the chapter? Tao is afraid at the end of the chapter because he thinks that
Graybeard is really sick and Tao is very worried about him.
Chapter 13
1. Even if Ram had succeeded in hunting the deer, do you think it was a good idea of Tao's to "show off" his dog's
ability to hunt? Explain. I think it wasn't a good idea because if he had seen Tao's dog he would of killed him.
2. Predict what will happen next. If you've read ahead, invent an alternate scene. I predict that Ram will find Tao
and his dog and then kill to death.
Chapter 14
1. Why does Tao cross the river? Tao crosses the river because he hears this howling and he thinks it's Ram.
2. What decision does Graybeard reach? Graybeard reaches the decision to go back to Tao and show him how to paint.
Chapter 15
What problem does Tao have by the end of the chapter? Tao has this problem at the end of this chapter which is
that he gets stuck in the cavern.
Chapter 16
Look at the website of the Laxcaux Caves: http://www.culture.gouv.fr/culture/arcnat/lascaux/en/ Find a picture
that resembles the one Tao is painting. Copy it as your answer to this question.
Chapter 17
Wow! What a chapter! What was your reaction? Tense? Surprised? You predicted it? Write a paragraph describing your reaction.
Chapter 18
Why does Tao feel he needs to go to the Mountain People?
Extra Credit
Write a narrative describing what happens next. Make sure your plot has a conflict, a climax, and a resolution. You can introduce new characters if you want.